The Wolf Moon
by kingofsecrets15
Summary: Being a demigod sucks. Finding out you're the son of a wolf that eats gods and a goddess that causes chaos by throwing fruit around may be worse. Percy doesn't really mind though, save for the fact that he has to deal with both a prophecy and a certain man-hating goddess. Eh, could be worse...right? AU. Pertemis. R&R.
1. Prologue: Surprise, Surprise

Prologue: Surprise, Surprise

A woman dashed through the desert dunes as a full moon shined down brightly, illuminating her path. Leaping over the rocks and cracks that dotted the barren earth, the figure pressed on, not willing to give up on her endeavor. A small bundle squirmed on occasion in her arms, causing the hooded woman to whisper soothing words to calm it as they continued. Spotting her destination, she gave a sigh of relief before slowing her feet and coming to a stop.

A large wall of rock jutted out of the dusty landscape, dwarfing the woman with its size and height. A crack ran its entire length, creating a cave of sorts, making the perfect place to hide something.

Or someone.

Glancing around, the woman quickly ran into the cave, leaving the desert wind to cover her tracks. She traveled deeper and deeper into the cave's bowels, the darkness suffocating and wrapping around the woman, but it didn't bother her much, seeing as how her mother was the night. After another minute or two, she finally saw a bit of light. Increasing her stride, she made it to the place she had been searching for.

The room was lit by the tiniest rays of moonlight, dripping and shimmering from a few cracks in the room's ceiling, giving the center of the room an almost ethereal glow. Claw marks dotted the lengths of the room, as if something had been trying to break out of this stone prison. The place didn't seem like much, but to the woman, it was the most important place in the entire world to her.

The sounds of ragged breathing next to her ear caught her attention, but when she turned, she saw nothing. The same breathing came from the other side, but just as before, remained unseen. The woman paused before crossing her arms and tapping her foot irritably.

"Will you stop that? I know its you. Now come on out."

The sound of dark laughter reached her ears before the shadows parted to reveal an enormous wolf. Its ash colored fur seemed to shimmer in the pale light of the moon, and a pair of eyes resembling burning coals glowed brightly from behind a white muzzle. Its claws tore at the stone floor with each step, but its padded paws barely made a sound as the wolf continued walking. Stopping not a breaths width away from the woman, the monstrous canine leaned its head down to her face before pulling its lips back, revealing rows of razor edged teeth each the size of sword blades, and growling.

The woman didn't even flinch. Instead, she placed the bundle carefully on the ground before slapping the wolf across the face, causing it to yelp in surprise and pain. She glared at the creature before speaking again.

"Enough Fenrir, I'm not here to play games."

The wolf quickly recovered from the slap but instead of attacking the feisty woman, it let out a howl of laughter before a flash of light replaced it with a tall, lithe man with the same color hair and eyes as the wolf. After stifling his laughter, the man turned to her again and gave her a wolfish smile, revealing a set of large canines.

"Oh come on, there's no need to act all stiff like that. After what we've been doing, I'd have thought all that would be gone." He chuckled at her scarlet face before wrapping her up in a tight embrace. "It's been too long Eris."

The Goddess of Discord laughed, "It's only been a few months, but your right." She shrugged off her cloak, revealing a mane of hair the color of darkness and eyes a dark violet shade. Wings the same color as her hair burst from her back, and a dark robe made her almost invisible in the cave.

Pulling back a bit, the pair leaned closer before a cry rang out through the cave, bringing the two immortal's attention to the small bundle that resided on the floor. Breaking their embrace (and missing Fenrir's pout), Eris walked over and picked the bundle up gently before bringing it to the wolf. He looked at Eris, who made a go-on motion, before he unwrapped the bundle.

A small boy squirmed out of the blanket, his cries of frustration echoing in the small cave. Glowing eyes the same color of the wolf's blazed curiously and a mop of jet black hair coated his head as he thrashed about. When the child noticed the strange man that held him, he immediately stopped moving and locked eyes with him. After a few seconds, the child smiled, revealing a set of canines that would give most a heart attack, before giggling.

At his look of shock, Eris took the child from him and began rocking gently, making the child slump sleepily against the woman. She sighed happily at the sight of the dozing child before turning to the still gaping wolf.

"Yes, this is our son." She answered his unasked question, still rocking the child gently.

Fenrir seemed to regain his composure, and began speaking, his shock fading with each word, "W-what is his name?"

Eris glanced up from the boy and met her lover's eyes before smiling, "Perseus, but I like to call him Percy." she sighed sadly before continuing, "You know why I came now, don't you?"

The wolf nodded slowly before shifting his gaze to the ground, sorrow evident in his body language as a century's worth of grief returned. Noticing this, Eris frowned before walking over and grabbing his hand, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

"Everything will turn out just fine, I promise. Just wait and you'll see."

Fenrir gave a half-hearted smile in return, "Says the Goddess of Discord." He looked to the child, _his _child, before speaking his mind, "So he'll have to stay with you?"

"Nope." At his surprised expression, she laughed, "I did say you were the father, didn't I? Since he looks _way_ more like you, he can't stay with me, which means…"

"…I can raise him." He finished softly.

Eris rolled her eyes at him. One second Fenrir could be all flirtatious and cocky, the next he could be caring and gentle, and then the next he could be all sad and depressed. She figured it was the whole 'been trapped for centuries by a golden ribbon without seeing any of his family and being the last being from his realm alive' thing. Not that his random swings mattered to her. In fact, they made her love him even more.

"Hey…" his growl of indignation brought her back to the situation at hand. Turning back around, she smiled at the look on his face before becoming serious again.

"You have to take care of Percy. If I did, one of the gods could discover him. With you, he can learn everything he needs to know about being a, well, mini-you. I'll come see the both of you when I can."

Fenrir sighed, the sound mixed with happiness, love, and a bit of worry all together, "Ok…how much longer can you stay?"

Eris cocked her head in deep concentration, before sighing, "It's an hour from dawn. If I'm going to get back in time, I have to leave right now. Don't give me that look; I can't flash or fly out here or someone would know where I went." She gave an apologetic look to her scowling lover's face before planting a kiss on his lips and their son's head before handing him to Fenrir. Locking eyes with her wolf one last time, she waved him off before running into the darkness and disappearing.

Fenrir sighed once again before looking down onto his sleeping child's form. He raised his head before turning into his original form and letting out a howl, releasing all of his emotion in one sound and sending his lover off. He was surprised when another howl joined his, the two sounds melding together into one that tore through the night. Glancing back, he couldn't help but smile as a small wolf pup joined him in saying goodbye.

**A/N: SURPRISE! My mother decided to show a bit of mercy (thank the lord) and has decided to let me write for the entirety of my Thanksgiving Break! *cue confetti* **

**As for this story, it came to me and I wanted to write it IMMEDIATLEY before I forgot. And if any of you are wondering, I am working on the newest chapter of ****The Hound of War ****as you read this, so no worries!**

**Thank you for reading, and please review.**

**Sincerely,**

**kingofsecrets15 **


	2. Chapter 1: Arming a Hunter

Chapter 1: Arming a Hunter

Fourteen years later

A blur flashed across the stone room, tearing apart the targets scattered about the area with an ease that made Fenrir proud. He watched on as the blur ran along the walls and made a giant leap towards the final target, which was hanging from a stalagmite at the very center of the room. As the blur sailed through the air, it reached out and tore at the target with its razor sharp claws, effectively ripping the target to pieces.

The blur landed, revealing a stark black wolf in its place. Its eyes shined just as brightly, if not even more so, than its father's, and if one took a close enough look, they would see that its eyes shimmered a deep violet on occasion. It was about as large as a small car, and as it stepped toward the other wolf, its muscles would ripple, showing off its strength and power.

Once it had reached Fenrir, its body shifted and twisted. Fur became hair, claws turned into shorter but still sharp nails, teeth shortened save the canines, and its tail disappeared completely. Standing on its hind legs, what was once a wolf was now a young man with a mane of dark hair and a crooked grin to match.

Fenrir kept a passive expression as he shifted into his alternate form. Lifting a wooden sword from the floor, he tossed one to Percy before drawing his own. He waited patiently for his son to ready his stance before lunging at him.

The two wolves clashed in the center of the room, each baring their fangs in a challenging roar. Fenrir put his weight down onto the wooden blade and began to slowly overpower the younger wolf. Prepared for this, Percy dropped the sword and swept his feet under his father's, causing the older wolf to stumble. He pressed the advantage, attacking in a flurry of blows that Fenrir blocked with ease before the two crossed blades once again.

Percy let out a growl of frustration as he was overpowered again before he quickly shifted and raked his claws across his father's sword, splintering it into tiny pieces. Fenrir merely smiled before transforming himself, replacing the ash-haired man with a wolf the size of a house. Lunging at the smaller wolf, he tried to pin him under one massive paw, but Percy was too fast. Running along the edge of the room, he leapt off one of the stone walls and sailed straight into the older wolf's side, sending both crashing into the floor.

Instead of fighting again, the room shook as both wolves began chuckling. Their amusement continued well after they had shifted back, only stopping when they struggled to get breath into their lungs. Once the two had calmed down a bit, Fenrir turned to his son with a smile and ruffled his hair.

"Well done Perseus. You are truly a great warrior, and you make me more and more proud every day."

Percy gave a crooked smile in return, "Thanks dad."

Fenrir smiled again before going over to a far corner of the cave. He shifted a few things around, tossing a few pieces of clothing as well as a couple of chew toys (a running joke from Eris that caused more than a few choice words from the older wolf.), before he finally found what he was looking for. Holding it just out of his son's view, he brought the object over to Percy before unwrapping it, causing the young wolf to gasp.

It was a sword that much was for sure. But what a sword it was.

The hilt was intricate in design, forged into the shape of two wolves howling on each side, with each of the wolves' eyes being inlaid rubies. At the very bottom of the hilt, a small blade was set, in case an enemy came too close for the sword to swing. The sword's blade seemed to shimmer in the pale moonlight and as Percy examined it closer, the light that was reflected seemed to form pictures, scenes of ancient battle and blood long forgotten. He didn't hear his father calling him until the sword was taken from his grip.

Fenrir held the blade up once again as he began to speak, "Do you know the name of this blade is, Perseus?"

Percy strained his mind, but the knowledge was lost to him. Seeing his son's face, the older wolf sighed before speaking.

"Its original name was lost to time, but as the centuries passed and its purpose changed, it gained a new name: _Ulfrpogn_, the Wolf's Silence."

Percy's eyes widened in shock and surprise, and he felt his stomach clench painfully as he recalled the sword's purpose. Noticing his son's look of realization and revulsion, Fenrir continued.

"Yes, this weapon once belonged to Tyr, the Norse God of War and the only man I counted as a friend. It was _he _that gave his oath as I was bound for the last time. It was _he_ whose hand I devoured in my rage and fear after I could not escape the _Gleipnir_. And it was _he_, whose sword was shoved into my gullet, silencing my howls of suffering and anguish for thousands upon thousands of years."

He turned, and Percy saw a millennium's worth of pain and sorrow flash in his eyes as he finished his speaking.

"I tell you this not to repulse you, but for you to understand the truth behind this blade. I give this sword to you now not as a reminder of ancient suffering, but as a tool to carve out your own fate in this world. Will you take this sword, this cruel reminder of the past, and forge it anew? Will you make it into a true weapon, worthy of the one and only Son of Fenrir as you send your enemies' souls to the pits of Helheim?"

Without hesitation, Percy grasped the blade, marveling at how it seemed to form into his hand as he raised it into the air. Instead of the scenes of battle and blood it had shown before, packs of wolves decorated the blade as the light bounced off of its surface. The wolves all looked to the moon before raising their heads in a silent howl and disappearing.

Fenrir grinned at his son's amazement as he rose. Putting his hand out to the moonlight, a scabbard with a silver wolf howling at full moon appeared in his hands. He passed it to Percy, who sheathed his new sword before wrapping his father in a tight embrace, one the older wolf returned with equal force. Pulling back, both smiled before laughter broke out behind the pair.

"Oh, that was _so_ sweet. I should've gotten a picture." Both wolves rolled their eyes as they turned and caught sight of the Goddess of Discord.

Eris was wrapped in a black chiton, her wings fitting through the slits in the cloth before folding up against her back. Her violet eyes danced with amusement and mirth at the sight of her husband and son hugging, and her pale skin seemed to reflect the moon's light as she walked over and gripped Percy in a suffocating hug.

"Hey mom, can you let up on the suffocation please?" Percy choked out. He could swear he heard his ribs cracking under his mother's grip, and hearing his father's laughter at the sight didn't help. But the tables quickly turned as she grabbed the unsuspecting older wolf mid-chuckle, and he let out a yelp of surprise that quickly shifted to coughing and choking as she began smothering him as well.

After a minute or two more, Eris released the two, rolling her eyes at the sight of both wolves gasping for air. Once the wolves regained their normal breathing routine, she began to speak.

"Since your father was Hades-bent on giving you something as awesome as a godly weapon, I decided to top that. Behold." Eris closed her eyes and breathed out deeply before she raised both hands and sent out a blast of violet energy into her son. Stumbling back, the young man looked around, but didn't notice anything different.

At least until his mother made a mirror appear.

His entire body was encased in a pitch black suit of armor that felt as if it weighed nothing. The arm guards shielded his wrists and covered up to the elbows, where the armor split of into an array of sharp edges. A breastplate covered his torso, protecting his back and covering it with the same spines that decorated the rest of the armor. The greaves went up along his legs and reached up to his waist, and the bottoms of the greaves were covered in a strange material that muffled his footsteps. Large spines formed at the points where the armor came to cover his knees, and, just like the rest of the armor, they were covered in Nordic runes that glowed ethereal blue light.

The helmet, however, was something else entirely.

Shaped into a wolf's skull, the helm completely covered Percy's head as he slipped it on. Peering through the surprisingly clear eyes, his heightened vision sharpened even more, to the point where he could see the light reflecting off of a pebble over two hundred feet away. He couldn't even speak in his amazement

Percy slipped of the helmet and laid it gently on the floor as his mother began speaking again.

"Now, the armor will protect you from everything short of a nuclear blast, so you won't have to worry about it breaking. Also, the armor will disappear as you shift forms, so whenever you want to wear it, will the shadows to form around you, and it will come." She paused before turning on her heels and facing Fenrir, who looked unimpressed.

"What use is a suit of armor to one whose skin is just as strong?" Eris crossed her arms and gave him a cool look.

"What use is a sword to those who can fight just as well with tooth and claw?" Both immortals locked eyes before Fenrir smirked.

"Touché."

Eris smiled before she closed her eyes and cocked her head to the side. A few seconds passed before she sighed.

"It's time Fenrir. I hate to leave, but Thanatos needs my help in patrolling the Underworld. You will have to explain the prophecy to Percy by yourself. I'm sorry."

The Goddess of Discord turned to Percy before giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Extending her wings, she blew a kiss towards Fenrir before flying into the shadows and disappearing from sight.

The older wolf sighed before turning to his son, who was giving him his full attention. Fenrir dropped into a sitting position and beckoned Percy over, feeling a worry that seemed to eat at his soul. As he complied, Fenrir pulled out an ancient piece of parchment from his pocket and began to unravel it, the old paper crackling and popping until it was fully extended. Percy leaned over, only to pull back at the brilliant flash of light.

Images flashed though his mind at immense speed: An army gathered at the base of a massive building, a pair of frigid golden eyes that seemed to pick apart his soul, a flash of auburn hair and cool silver orbs, and finally a monstrous wolf thrashing wildly against a golden ribbon, his howls shaking the mountains and seas.

The lines of the prophecy flashed through his mind:

_The son of the greatest of Gods_

_Shall reach sixteen against all odds_

_And see the world in endless sleep_

_The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap_

_A single choice shall end the immortal's days_

_Her life or his to preserve or raze_

The light vanished, leaving behind a stunned Percy. He didn't realize his father calling his name until he was being shaken.

"Huh?" Fenrir sighed in relief. He had worried that the prophecy had fried his son's mind, but apparently that was not the case. "What did you see Perseus?"

Percy shook out of his stupor and told him everything that he had seen and heard, from the army to the words of the prophecy. Once he was finished, he watched as his father paced the floor, a hard look upon his face as he finally spoke.

"This prophecy will not end happily, that is assured." Noticing his son's look, he laid a hand on his shoulder as he growled," Nevertheless, I will make sure you survive this, my son. I have faith in you."

Percy smiled at his father as he rose, picking up his helmet and placing his sword at his waist as his father faced him for what would be for the last time.

"Now, it is time for you to face your destiny head on. Always remember Perseus, when your weapons fail…"

"My hands will forge the path." Percy finished. As he placed his helmet upon his head, he couldn't help but feel as if this would be the last time he would ever see his home. Turning one last time, he nodded to his father, who shifted and let out a howl that seemed to shake the foundations of the world. Letting out one himself, Percy faded into the shadows, leaving behind a howl that made his father's look small in comparison.

**A/N: So, tell me what you thought about it. Good, bad, terrible, go for it. R&R.**

**Sincerely, **

**kingofsecrets15**


	3. Chapter 2: Meet the Moon and Tell a Tale

Chapter 2: Meet the Moon and Tell a Tale

In a snow covered forest, a wreath of shadows formed at the base of a massive tree. As the shadows faded, it revealed our favorite demiwolf, who immediately fell into a crouch as his form completely solidified.

The Son of Fenrir took in a deep breath before closing his eyes and letting his senses roam the surrounding area. The smell of the forest and the air in it told him the prophecy had taken him to Maine. A surge of power flashed through the forest, one that radiated on a scale not unlike his father's. It was a power of nature, but while his father's radiated around him like an earthquake, this one felt like wind through the branches of a tree or the howls of wolves on a moonlit night.

'_Bingo.' _He had found what he was looking for.

Shifting into his lupine form, the demiwolf raced through the forest, leaping through the trees and tearing across the ground with a speed almost no one could match. After a few minutes, he could hear the sounds of speech echoing through a clearing up ahead. Easing into a crouch, Percy crawled to the edge of the clearing on his belly, barely leaning his head out before restraining a growl.

Two demigods were being held by a monster (a manticore by the looks of it.), with the beast cowering behind the two as he shot a volley of spikes into the forest in front of him. Percy thought it was strange until silver arrows came out and not only cut its spikes in half but also sliced into the beast's flesh, causing it to roar in pain. As a group of girls walked out of the forest, the monster turned and let out a growl, summoning reinforcements as dozens of monsters came from the other side of the clearing and made a barrier between him and the girls.

But not Percy.

As he prepared himself to lunge at the monster, a voice like cool water washed over his mind, making him want to listen to its commands.

'_Do not attack! Wait for my word.' _

Percy couldn't help it. He laughed at the voice before lunging out of the bushes and slamming into the Manticore, sending both tumbling to the snowy ground and allowing the demigods to escape. Standing to his feet (or rather paws), the demiwolf began to circle the smaller monster, who looked like he was seconds from pissing himself at the sight of the large wolf.

He tried to sound brave as he spoke,"Who are you? Another morsel for me to devour? You'll have to go through all them before you can die by my hand!" he roared again, causing all the monsters to pile onto Percy and attack him with their weapons. Percy only laughed before throwing the monsters off of him, ignoring the few of the strikes that had cut him as the monsters regrouped.

He lunged forward, tearing out the jugular of a Cyclops before taking a swipe at a nearby dracaenae, sending the snake woman into a tree with a satisfying crunch. Taking a step back, he turned to a pack of hellhounds before letting out a low growl, silently communicating with them in his mind. The hellhounds' eyes widened before they turned and began attacking their own allies, tearing into them at their brother's command.

The sound of arrows whistling through the air told the demiwolf the girls with the bows had joined the fight, and a lightning bolt disintegrating a few dracaenae, as well as the smell of ozone in the air, let him know a child of Zeus had joined the fight. Percy looked around, noticing that most of the monsters were dust, save a certain Manticore. He took a step forward before cursing as the monster grabbed a nearby demigod, holding the grey-eyed girl and placing his claws against her throat as he backed to the cliff's edge.

"Come any closer and the girl dies!" Fear laced the monster's voice, causing Percy to give a toothy grin in response before disappearing into a shadow.

Percy materialized behind the Manticore, who cried out as the demiwolf dug his fangs into his back. He dropped the girl, allowing her to escape as the monster began grappling with the Son of Fenrir. Percy ducked under the monster's paw before catching its tail in his teeth and with a monstrous tug, tearing it from his body. The Manticore roared in pain before tackling the demiwolf, sending both off the cliff and into the dark waters below.

Line Break

Artemis shook her head as she looked into the dark waters below. Had the wolf only listened to her, he would still be alive. Sighing, she turned before coming face to face with the mentioned creature. Letting out a yelp of surprise that she immediately cursed herself for, she attempted to move before the monstrous canine pinned her to the ground. As she prepared to lash out with her godly powers, the wolf spoke.

"Where is the goddess?" Artemis's eyes widened before she scowled. Of course, not even this big oaf could recognize her in this form. She reached out with her mind and sent him a picture of her in an older form, causing the wolf's eyes to widen dramatically before leaping off of her. Drawing her bow at the wolf, she gave him a cold stare as she began speaking.

"Who are you? What do you want with me?"

The wolf sighed before its shape seemed to change. Bones shifted and realigned, fur disappeared and in a few moments, instead of a large wolf, there was now a boy with black hair and glowing eyes. This only made her tighten the grip she had on her bow as the boy raised his hands in a surrendering motion.

"Who are you?" The boy laughed at the question, causing her to lose an arrow in his direction. To her amazement, the boy caught it between two fingers and snapped it in half as he began to speak.

"Perseus, but you may call me Percy. Everyone else does."

She looked him over, her expression cold. "You're not a werewolf."

The boy rolled his eyes at her statement, "No, I'm not. What I am, I can't explain here. I need to speak with you privately. It's vitally important that I tell you what I know."

Artemis didn't lessen her grip on the bow."You tried to attack me. Why should I let you live?"

The boy sighed before speaking, "I swear on the…the River Styx, right? Yeah, that's it. I swear on the River Styx that I will not try to kill you or any of your huntresses unless they or you try to kill me first, and that what I have to tell will be vital to the survival of Olympus."

Artemis kept her bow trained on him as thunder boomed across the sky. After a few seconds, she lowered the bow and beckoned him to follow. As Percy walked towards the goddess, he saw a girl with what looked like a silver tiara aim her bow at one of the hellhounds who had decided to stick around before releasing the string. He shadow traveled between the two and caught the arrow in his teeth before flicking her off.

"Try to kill one of my brethren again huntress, and my teeth will be on your throat instead of this arrow." His tone was cold, and his glowing eyes held a slumbering beast just waiting to be awakened. The girl glared at him and prepared to fire again, only to have Artemis grab her bow, a stern look in her eyes.

"No Zoë. If his news affects the fate of Olympus, then we need to at least hear him out before we do anything rash."

The huntress growled as she pointed to the pack of hounds, "What of them? Surely thou does not expect us to simply make camp mid those beasts."

Artemis turned to Percy, who was wrestling with the hellhounds, playfully nipping and tackling them. She couldn't help but smile a little at the sight of the massive hounds all dog piling the boy, leaving only his head visible. Giving him a look, she watched as Percy gave out a bark and all the hellhounds ran off into the forest, each looking back at him with happy looks as they departed.

Percy watched them go before following the goddess into her tent. He wasn't really surprised at what it was like on the inside; Hel, the cave he had lived in his entire life was an elaborate illusion that hid his father's true power and form, as well as allowing him to live comfortably inside the dwelling.

So in comparison, this wasn't much at all.

Sitting on the floor, Percy couldn't help but stare as the goddess before him began making tea. He knew she was important to the prophecy somehow, but that didn't explain why she was also blindingly hot. The way her sliver eyes flashed, the color of her hair, Hel, even her smell was amazing. It was a mixture of pine and the smell of fresh fallen rain, as if she had been running through a forest during a storm, which she had probably done before. He wondered if she had ever-

'_What the Hel is wrong with you?! She is the MAIDEN GODDESS! She likes to turn men into rabbits with horns and hunt them! And for the All father's sake, STOP STARING AT HER CHEST!'_

'_Wait, what?'_

'_You. Are. Ogling. Her. Stop acting like a hormone crazed rabbit and pay attention. She's talking to you.'_

It was true. When Percy had returned from the battle against his conscious, he was confronted with a fourteen year old goddess's glare.

"Did you hear anything I just said?" Her tone promised pain if he answered incorrectly, and Percy went out on a limb and guessed.

"Uh, don't flirt with your maidens?"

Her glare disappeared and was replaced with a calm look as she poured herself some tea. Percy didn't know he had been sweating until he wiped off his brow, thanking the gods over and over again for his mother's knowledge of the habits of the gods. His eyes snapped to Artemis as she began speaking again.

"Tell me, who are you and what do you know about the fate of Olympus?" Her tone wasn't hostile, just curious as she sipped her drink.

Percy sighed. This was the hard part. "Okay, uh well, you know the Great Prophecy?" at her nod he continued, "Well, the hero it speaks of is me."

She didn't look very impressed. "And you know this how?"

The demiwolf grimaced, "My father and mother trained me since birth for its completion. I was told today what the prophecy entails and after reading it, I was told to come to this place, leading us to this point in time."

Artemis laid her cup down next to her before settling her full attention onto the boy, her silver eyes gazing into his soul and heart. She watched him for a few seconds before speaking, finding herself locking eyes with the boy as she spoke.

"Who are your parents?"

The demiwolf rubbed the back of his neck, "That is a much bigger question than you realize, Lady Artemis, and involves a rather long story to explain completely."

"We have time."

Percy's eyes clashed with hers for a moment, "Swear on the Styx that you will tell no one of what you learn here. I cannot tell you if you refuse."

Artemis paused. She would be forced to withhold what she discovered from the council unless he told her she could speak. She wanted to refuse, but for some reason, she felt as if she could trust the boy. Deciding to give him a chance, she swore and thunder sounded through the sky at their pact.

Percy sighed, his eyes focusing in on the flames as he began the tale. "It all started thousands of years ago…"

**A/N: Ok, next chap. will tell the story of how Eris and Fenrir met. I considered just skipping the whole thing, but I figured it would be nice for you all to have a little back story for the pair.**

**Fair warning: It is going to take a LONG time before Percy and Artemis can get together, so don't get too excited yet. After all, he did almost bite her head off, and that's a pretty bad first impression.**

**Finally, the poll for **_**The Hound of War**_** will end tomorrow, so hurry up and vote (if you actually care, it's on my profile page). Also, I'm really surprised with this fic. Two chapters and already it had more reviews than the first chapters of ****The Hound of War****. Not that I'm complaining.**

**Thank you for reading. You guys (and gals) rock!**

**Sincerely,**

**kingofsecrets15 **

**P.S: Can anyone point me in the direction of some really awesome art for my stories, preferably some that no one will sue me for if I use it? If you do, please send me a PM. **


	4. Chapter 3: A Chance Encounter

Chapter 3: A Chance Encounter

In her defense, she wasn't the one that started a war just for love's sake.

But of course, since Eris had thrown the first stone (Er, apple) and caused the fight between the goddesses in the first place, she was the one everybody wanted to hate on. It's not like she had planned for a war to break out. All she did was play a joke, and now she was being hunted for causing a war she had no part in.

The sounds of heavy footfalls smashing through the brush caused her to roll her eyes. When news had reached Zeus's ears of her escape from Olympus, he had been outraged, ordering Apollo, Ares, and Hermes to track her down before bringing her to Olympus for 'war crimes.' She had already defeated Apollo (surprise kick to the face), and sent Hermes packing (last she saw, he was still running from the biggest hellhound he'd ever seen), leaving just the God of War. But the big oaf just shrugged off anything she hit him with, and she was already more exhausted than she would care to admit, so she just kept running.

The footfalls stopped, leaving Eris to wonder if he had given up. The sounds of trees being uprooted and glimpses of a massive boar through the thick branches told her otherwise. Increasing her speed, she leapt into the air, spreading her wings before getting battered down by the winds. She managed to make it a good hundred feet before crashing into the earth, plowing a trench into the stone covered earth.

Stumbling and wincing in pain at her broken wings, Eris spotted a clearing obscured by mist. Using the last of her strength, the goddess stumbled into the clearing and used her powers to cloak herself, making her the same color as the massive stone.

The God of War walked into the clearing, shifting into his usual form as he looked around. His red eyes glowed through the mist as they searched for the Goddess of Discord. Walking forward to the massive stone, he went to touch right where Eris was before he noticed a golden flash. Raising an eyebrow under his helm, he walked over to it and saw that it was a ribbon that was formed to the rock. Following the ribbon's length, he watched as it seemed to shift and enlarge. He turned around, only for his eyes to widen.

Eris heard the sounds of a blade being drawn and Ares' cursing as he fought the unknown enemy. He fought for a few minutes more before he gave out a loud cry and was flung into the air and over the tree tops before bursting into golden dust upon slamming into a boulder. Eris turned, only to be met with Ares' adversary. She stared in shock at the creature before promptly fainting.

Line Break

A cold, wet object was pressed into Eris's side, causing her to gasp and awaken with a start. Snapping her head around, she found herself staring once again into the glowing eyes of the biggest wolf she'd ever seen.

She certainly made a great first impression.

"The Hades you looking at pooch?" she snapped, "If you're going to eat me, go ahead and do it. I've had enough of people's crap to last me centuries, so you eating me would be the best way to go."

The wolf only looked at her before opening its mouth, leaning its head towards the goddess before stopping not an inch from her face. Eris shook in disgust as slobber pooled on the ground before she looked the wolf in the eyes.

"Well? No growl, no howl, no nothing? You're just going to stare at me with your mouth open? Keep that up and you'll catch flies, or in your case, horses."

If wolves could scowl, this one would be doing so. Leaning his head even farther, he almost had her completely engulfed in his jaws before she caught on.

"What, are you trying to show me something?" At his nod, she threw her hands up in exasperation, "What is it, like a bone or something? It must be tiny-"

She blinked as she saw the problem.

"That is a sword."

Indeed, there was a massive sword crammed into the wolf's throat, slicing into the flesh and effectively silencing the canine as it blocked his pipes. She wondered how the big guy was still alive, but then again, he had defeated the God of War with a swipe of a paw, so he had to be pretty tough.

'Someone was overcompensating for something…' she mused before speaking again.

"Ok, so what now? You want me to yank it out." Another nod shook her whole body, giving her the ok. Grasping the sword with both of her hands, she couldn't even reach around the hilt and she doubted she could dislodge the thing without help. So she summoned her magic, temporarily giving her the strength of a hundred men.

Eris put her hands on the hilt once again, tightening her grip before she spoke again, "Ok big guy, on the count of three, we yank this bad boy out, alright?" One last nod, this one a bit more cautious, gave her all the answer she needed.

"One!" Eris yelled as she pulled the sword free.

A fountain of blood sprayed her out of the wolf's mouth, coating her with the liquid as she slid across the ground. The wolf thrashed on the ground, blood cascading from his throat as he threw it all up, covering the ground with his gore. Panting on the ground, Eris watched as his throat sealed up the wounds left by the sword. Noticing this, the wolf raised his head and released the loudest howl she had ever heard.

The force of the sound made the ground shake, and cracks began appearing in the earth as the sound grew even louder. Trees around the clearing shattered into splinters, the rocks became dust, and Eris had to shield herself with magic to stop the sound from tearing her to shreds.

Once the wolf finished his howl, Eris lowered the shield and took in the surroundings.

She let out a whistle, "Wow, no wonder they shut you up. You got a nice set of pipes."

At the sound of her voice, the canine turned and trotted over to her, stopping just a foot away before a sudden flash of light engulfed it and replaced the wolf with a man that the same colored hair and eyes as the wolf. Her scowled at her as he spoke.

"You lied to me. And my name is Fenrir, not pooch."

Eris gaped at the man, "You can talk?!"

He rolled his eyes, "Obviously." Turning his back to her, he walked to the stone and took a seat, "Now, thank you for removing the sword, but I have a job, so please. Leave. "

"A job? What job? All I've seen you do is sit there and do nothing."

"Exactly." At the look of confusion on her face, he turned around, revealing a flood of emotions in his eyes as he spoke, "I'm waiting. I'm waiting so that someday, I will be free of this cursed existence. I'm waiting for the moment my imprisonment and torture ends… Miss Eris, I'm waiting for the day I fade."

Eris gained a look of anger and rage as she stomped up to the wolf. She slapped him across the face before speaking. "How dare you say that?! There is always something that keeps us here! What about your friends, what about your family-"

"I HAVE NO FAMILY!" His roar sent Eris onto her rear as the creature seethed in rage, "Everyone I ever knew is gone! They have all faded! My sons, my brothers, my father, they are all gone! Everyone is." He sat on the rock as his heart was torn to pieces, "Everyone…except me."

Eris couldn't help but ask him. "What happened to you? Why were you trapped her?"

Fenrir didn't look up, "The Norns. A prophecy foretold of Ragnarok, the end of the gods, and how I was to devour Odin, king of the gods. In his fear, I was chained here for all eternity, by this ribbon, until Ragnarok comes."

"What about your siblings? Your father? Your sons?"

He snorted, "They also played a part of the prophecy, for Jörmungandr is to slay Thor, and Hel and Loki were said to be the only ones to escape. But Odin threw my brother into the sea and cast my sister into the land of the dead before punishing our father. As for my sons, they swore to devour the sun and moon to free me."

Eris didn't say anything for a few minutes as she took everything in. a question stirred in her mind, and she placed it in the air.

"When will Ragnarok take place? When will you be free?"

Fenrir turned to her, stepping off the rock and stalking towards her until he was inches away from her face, "You just don't get it, do you? All the gods, fearing their downfalls and deaths were distracted and did not notice their worshippers dwindling until it was too late. One by one they have faded, until now… now I am the last of the Aesir."

He paused before speaking again, his voice choked with emotion as he looked at the ground, "I didn't even get to say goodbye. My sons faded chasing the moon and sun in the hopes of freeing me and earning my love. They died not knowing they already had it. I am forever trapped with the knowledge that I could not protect my little brother and sister from the fates they endured. And finally, I will never be able to kill that cur Odin for what he has done to me and my family."

He faced her once more, tears extinguishing the glow in his eyes, revealing a pair of cold coals in their place. "Do you see now? Do you see why I am so eager to leave this world?"

Eris merely nodded, tears in her own eyes. She put her hands on his cheeks and brought his face to hers, "I'm so sorry...will you allow me to stay with you? Until you fade?"

Fenrir looked shocked, "Why would you do that? Why do you care?"

"Because you remind me of myself. I was never liked by the gods of Olympus because my domains are considered evil and distracting to their rule. They see me as an annoying little speck, and I'm not even welcome on Olympus. I'm an outcast…I'm all alone, just like you." She finished,

The Goddess of Discord watched him closely as the wolf considered it. A few minutes passed before he let out a sigh.

"I…suppose I could use some company. It would not be so bad to have someone to talk to when the time comes."

Eris leapt up in the air before wrapping the wolf in a hug, "Thanks pooch!"

"It is Fenrir, but you are welcome nonetheless." He cautiously returned the hug as he wondered how things would change now that this woman had joined him here.

Line Break

Fenrir roared as he drove his fist into a nearby rock, crushing it to dust before he searched for something else to destroy. From the other side of the clearing, Eris rolled her eyes before standing and walking over to the wolf, who had shifted to pacing the length of _Gleipnir._

"Fenrir, what are you doing?"

He snapped his head and looked at her, "What's wrong with me?! I feel stronger than I ever have been before!"

The goddess raised an eyebrow. "And that's bad because…"

He growled angrily as he continued pacing, "If I am to join my family in death, then I need to become weaker. The stronger I am the less chance of me ever seeing them again!" He lashed out again, slamming both of his fists into the boulder he was stuck to but not making a single mark.

"Hey, calm down!"

Fenrir stiffened before he pointed a claw at her angrily. "It is your fault!"

"How is it my fault?!"

"Every time I get near you, I feel…strange. Like this fire is scorching my insides. It has been happening for years now, and I do not know why!"

Eris's eyes widened in surprise before a small smile crossed her lips. Walking forward, she grabbed the wolf by his arms. Surprised, he yelped before her lips crashed onto his, silencing him as both kissed for what felt like hours. After what was really a couple of minutes, the two parted as they panted for breath. Eris laughed at the sight of Fenrir panting with his tongue out, revealing the tips of his canines in a cute way.

"That, my dear Fenrir, is why you feel so strong. It's because _you _love me. And since I feel the same way, you get a boost in strength."

Fenrir turned to her, and it was her turn to be surprised as he pushed her against the rock and kissed her with a passion akin to a roaring river. He paused for a second before giving her a crooked grin, the first she'd ever seen on him.

"Maybe I could wait around another century or so. A man could get used to this 'love' thing."

**A/N: Ok, that may have been a bit rushed. Hey, it took me forever to figure out how to write it, so oh well.**

**Please R&R, and if you do, put down who your favorite character from PJO is and why as well. **

**Sincerely, **

**kingofsecrets15**


	5. Chapter 4: An Answer with a Question

Chapter 4: An Answer with a Question

As Percy brought his story to a close, he cautiously drew the shadows within the tent closer. If the goddess before him decided to break her oath and attack, he would be ready. Well, as ready as any demigod would be against an Olympian.

His actions did not go unnoticed by Artemis.

"If I was going to attack you, I would have done so already." She sighed as she drained the rest of her tea and laid the cup down beside her. She faced the demiwolf again, her silver eyes flashing with a pale silver light as she continued.

"No, I'm not going to attack you. But I need your help."

Percy raised an eyebrow as he released his grasp upon the shadows, "Why not ask one of your hunters? You did just meet me."

"I…I can't. None of the demigods or my hunters may know of this yet. Not until a prophecy is revealed." The Moon Goddess before him looked nervous and…was that worry in her eyes? Percy didn't know, but whatever it was, it must have been important if she couldn't tell her own hunters.

"What is it then?"

Artemis bit her lip, "My brother has been captured."

Percy thought for a moment before remembering his mother's lessons, "Apollo."

She nodded as she shifted her gaze to the fire, "Yes. He has been captured, and no one has been able to find him yet." she paused, "If the demigods discovered Apollo had been captured before a prophecy has been issued, they would grow fearful and would not be ready should battle come."

Artemis turned to face him again, "I will be honest with you; the presence of an Aesir during these dark days worries me, and I fear your arrival is an omen for things to come. And if the council knew of your existence, I have no doubt they would try to kill you. But if you aided me in rescuing my brother…"

"…They would be less likely to kill me." Percy finished.

"Precisely. Now," she rose to her feet and gazed upon the young man before her, "Can I trust you with this task? I have allowed you into my camp and you have trusted me with your origins. But, if I cannot have your word for this, then I will have no choice but to inform the council of your existence; oath or no oath."

Artemis leaned down until she was a breaths width apart, her eyes practically glowing in the dim light of the tent as she spoke.

"Can I trust you with this boy? Can I place my brother's life into your hands?"

Percy did not once flinch under her gaze as he rose. Rather, he met her gaze with one of his own. Both pairs of eyes burned brightly as he spoke.

"I will do everything in my power to ensure your brothers safety. I swear it on the Styx."

Artemis released a small breath she hadn't even known she was holding as thunder boomed. She sighed again as she realized morning was approaching.

"Dawn approaches. We must be leaving soon."

Percy merely nodded his head as he began heading for the tent's opening. He was about a foot away before her voice stopped him.

"Why did you agree to save my brother?"

He didn't turn around. "Why did you decide to trust me?"

The demiwolf waited for a few seconds before leaving the answer to both of their questions at the exit.

"I don't know."

Line Break

"So, you're not a werewolf?"

The Son of Fenrir struggled to keep his eyes from rolling at the youngest Di Angelo's question as both sat on an old tree branch away from the camp. While he wasn't bothered by the freezing cold wind that had cropped up as the night wore on, the young Italian's questions were starting to annoy him and it was hard to resist eating him at this point, seeing as how he had asked the same question for the tenth time now.

"No, I am not a werewolf." Hopefully the older Di Angelo would appear shortly and relieve him of 'watching the younger brother duty'. He should be concentrating on the Prophecy's meaning and reasons for placing him here with these Greek demigods, not babysitting.

"Hey, have you seen my sister?" The kid's, Nico, voice broke him out of his thoughts. He turned to face Nico and tell him he didn't know until he saw her walking to them from the camp. Percy was about to call to her before he caught her scent.

It still resembled her brother's in the sense that both had death upon them, but now it had something else about it, like she had been running through a pine forest. It was the same smell that the hunters and Artemis had…Barzûl.

Percy turned to Nico, who had not yet seen his sister yet, and began speaking, trying to prepare him for the loss he was about to receive.

"Listen to me Nico. Do you believe everything happens for a reason?" at the young boy's confused nod he continued, "No matter what happens, you have to be strong, in both mind and body. Even when things seem to be falling apart at the seams, you have to keep strong. It's the only chance we have in this world. Ok?"

"Yeah, sure Percy, whatever you say."

Percy couldn't help but smile, "And if you want, I can show you how to fight with a sword once we reach your camp."

Nico eyes widened and he grinned. Before he could say anymore though, his sister called him and beckoned him to follow her. Walking over to her, he gave one last look over his shoulder and waved excitedly at Percy before he and his sister disappeared behind the tree line.

The demiwolf sighed sadly as he shook his head. He may have thought the kid was annoying, but he didn't deserve to be alone, especially without anyone to look after him. Percy couldn't for the life of him figure out why he had decided to step in and fill in the role, but he would do what he could.

"That was rather kind of you."

Percy turned and locked eyes with the lieutenant of the Hunt. The obsidian eyed girl had an expressionless look on her face as she watched the woods the two Di Angelos had disappeared into. She stood there for a bit before she took a seat next to the demiwolf.

"Yeah well, everyone deserves to have someone watch out for them." His tone must have been too revealing, for the huntress sighed and faced him.

"You do not agree with her decision." Her voice was soft, like snow. It wasn't harsh or cold, only impassive and just a bit understanding.

Percy stood, the anger he had built up inside of him reaching a climax as the words tumbled out, "What right does she have to abandon her brother? How could she be so selfish?"

Zoë merely sighed, "Had you heard her story, you may understand a bit more."

Calming down a bit from his rant, he looked down and glared into the snow, "Tell me then."

"Bianca Di Angelo has always looked out for her brother. Every day she made sure he was happy and safe." She paused, "She has watched over Nico for so long, and she is tired of only doing things for him. She chose to join us not to forsake her brother, but to do something for her for once, to give herself a new life, without the responsibility of watching over him as she always has."

Percy lost a bit more of his anger, but his tone was still harsh, "And that makes it okay? That justifies it?"

"Not everything can be seen as black and white, only in shades of grey. Whether her choice is right or wrong is not for us to decide. Not even the gods can."

The demiwolf sighed as he sunk back onto the log, "Nico will still be alone."

The huntress shook her head, "Not if you are there for him. You can be a brother to him, someone who can make him great. The fact you care so much about a boy you have just met tells me this is true." She rose from the branch as she finished, "And I know you can do this."

Percy rose from his seat as well, a smile crossing his face as he spoke. "For a man hating maiden, you seem to have no problem speaking to me."He paused, "Unless you are not a huntress at all…mother."

The huntress scowled and a flash of violet light, Eris replaced the huntress before him. The scowl still covered her face as she spoke.

"How did you know it was me?"

Percy couldn't help but smirk at his mother's look as he shrugged, "I recognized your scent…thank you for the talk."

The Goddess of Discord waved him off before yanking him into a tight embrace, "Yeah well, that's what I'm here for."

Pulling back, she smiled at him before speaking again.

"Be safe Percy, ok? You may be all grown up to dear old dad, but you'll always be my little pup." Her tone was soft, worry and a little fear as to what was in store for her little boy filling it as she spoke. Those fears were allayed as her son wrapped her up in another hug.

"It'll be okay mom, I promise."

Eris sniffed before smiling at Percy and disappearing, leaving Percy alone in the small clearing.

He sighed before heading back to the Hunt's camp, ignoring the scowls and distasteful looks he garnered from the eternal teens. As he walked, he could feel someone's eyes piercing his back, and it was starting to irritate him. Scanning the surrounding area, he caught sight of the girl he had rescued earlier blatantly staring at him. Her stormy grey eyes appeared to be analyzing him, watching his every move as if he were prey.

In an instant, the Son of Fenrir was upon her, appearing an inch away from the startled girl as he spoke.

"Could you stop that?"

The girl recovered quickly, giving him an annoyed scowl as she spoke, "Excuse me? I don't know what you're talking about."

Percy cocked his head at her, "Why are you lying?"

The girl's face lit up bright red, the scent of embarrassment and anger radiating off her. "I'm not lying!"

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

The members' o f the Hunt were silently snickering at the rather entertaining situation that had cropped up, and some of the younger girls were dying with the infectious laughter as their exchange continued.

"How do you even know I'm lying?!"

"Ah, so you were lying."

The blonde girl almost growled as she reached for her dagger, but she was quickly interrupted by another voice ringing out.

"Come on Annabeth, just tell the man you were ogling him and be done with it."

Percy turned his eyes off the grey-eyed girl and was met with the demigoddess he had seen earlier. The teen looked about fifteen, with dark black hair and a splash of freckles across her nose, accompanied by a pair of shockingly blue eyes that seemed alive with lightening. She wore a dark jacket and a Green Day shirt that completely off set her pale skin and a bracelet decorated her wrist.

The grey-eyed girl turned to the Daughter of Zeus, cheeks still burning bright scarlet as she spoke.

"I was _not _ogling him Thalia. I was merely studying him."

Thalia rolled her eyes before she turned to Percy, "Sorry for my friend over there. She really doesn't know how to talk to boys yet so…anyway, I'm Thalia."

Percy gave her a smile as he shook her hand in return, ignoring the sputtering protests of the blonde girl behind him as he replied, "Percy. Daughter of Zeus?"

Thalia raised an eyebrow, "How did you know?"

"Your scent. You smell of ozone…and you used lightning against the monsters." He turned and faced the frowning girl, "and you, a Daughter of Athena. You smell of books and…pride."

Thalia laughed at her friend's look of outrage before turning to the demiwolf, "Well, you know who we are, but we don't know about you." Her expression grew curious, "So wolf boy, who's your mommy or daddy?"

Percy coughed, nervously dodging her question as she and the blonde stared at him, "I would rather keep that a secret, as well as my _other_ side, if you don't mind."

Thalia narrowed her eyes at Percy, studying him for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders, "Ok, none of mine or Annie's business anyway." She turned, missing Percy's sigh of relief as well as the shocked look that adorned Annabeth's face as she caught sight of the Moon Goddess.

"Come on Annabeth, looks like it's almost time to go." She grabbed her friend by the arm and dragged her off to the center of the clearing before she called back over her shoulder.

"Oi, Lassie! You coming or what?"

Percy growled at his distasteful nickname but couldn't help but smile at the thought of having two new friends already. He quickly walked up to the two girls as they reached the center of the clearing, where Artemis was speaking to the Hunt. From their groans and the words he picked up, they were not very happy with the news they were receiving.

"But Lady Artemis-"

"No buts Zoë. You all will just have to make due." The auburn-haired goddess sighed at their distasteful looks at the thought of going to the camp, "Look, I know none of you enjoy going there, but it will only be for a week at the most. So just bear with me, okay?"

Their calls of acknowledgment, despite their obvious annoyance, brought a smile to her face. Turning, Artemis caught sight of the two demigoddesses walking over to the center as they spoke with Percy. A strange feeling gripped her heart, confusing the goddess as she continued to watch them converse and laugh. Shaking off the foreign feeling, she waited for the trio to approach before speaking.

"Are you all ready?"

"Yes, Lady Artemis." The two demigoddesses answered immediately. Artemis was content until she heard a cough from behind. Raising a slim eyebrow, she turned once more to face the demiwolf, who looked rather…abashed.

"Yes?" They were running out of time, and she had no patience for waiting, especially for a man. Boy.

"Will you be transporting us?" His tone was rather surprising in the fact that it was nervous. Was he afraid?

"Is that a problem?"

He appeared to be strangled for a moment before he composed himself, "I, um, think it would be best if you just told me where the camp was."

The Moon Goddess shook her head, annoyance clearly written on her face, "We don't have time for this."

With startling speed, she grabbed the demiwolf's hand and exerted her power over him and the rest of the demigods and hunters before transporting them all to camp, leaving behind the cold wind of Maine and an abandoned campsite.

**A/N: Okay, I'm just going to say it: I'm terribly sorry. First I had Finals all week, then a freaking ton of Christmas chaos, and finally to top it all off, the largest case of Writer's Block to ever curse a man. **

**For those of you who can forgive me for such a slight, I will try to update more regularly to make up for it. For those of you whom hate me and will not continue reading, I apologize once more and hope you can find a better story.**

**Anyway, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and will have a Happy New Year. **

**Sincerely,**

**kingofsecrets15 **

**P.S: If any of you readers want to place my stories in any communities, you don't have to ask. I'm just glad people like them enough to bother.**


	6. Chapter 5: Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

Chapter 5: Welcome to Camp Half-Blood

Percy shouldn't have been too surprised. Artemis was an Olympian, and they always preferred to do things their own way, even if said actions lead to…unfortunate occurrences.

Such as our hero currently puking his guts out and muttering things that the younger demigods should never repeat.

"Get up boy, it isn't _that _terrible."

Percy threw a glare at the Moon goddess before another fit overtook him, causing him to once again lose his lunch. "You could have at least let me explain myself."

She scoffed, "We needed to come here as quickly as possible. It isn't my fault you have a weak stomach." Turning away for the moment, she made a gesture for Zoë and the rest of the Hunt to go to her cabin before looking back to find an annoyed demiwolf.

"Weak stomach?!" This time he rose to his feet, albeit unsteadily, and poked her with an extended claw, "If you didn't notice, I'm not exactly your standard Greek demigod, which means the way you maniac Olympians go about your business doesn't work too well with me."

Slapping his hand away, the goddess didn't bother replying as she began walking to the large house near the base of the hill. Percy shook his head, praying to whatever deity would grant him luck in dealing with this mad woman before following her down.

"I still haven't heard an apology!"

She didn't apologize as she sent shouted at him over her shoulder, "And make sure you come to the Big House soon."

Rolling his eyes at her back, Percy turned just so he could fall right on his rear.

Annabeth and Thalia gave him a strange look, "You okay?"

Dusting himself off as he rose, Percy coughed, "Yeah, you ah, just startled me." Coughing again, his face warmed a bit at the sight of the two girls laughing at him before he growled, "Just give me the freakin' tour."

As they began their tour, Percy couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched. Snapping his head in the direction of the feeling, he caught sight of…something in the window of the house he'd seen earlier. A chill ran done his spine and he growled as the shape disappeared once again.

"Percy?" turning back to Thalia and Annabeth, he raised an eyebrow before pointing to the window.

"What was that? Is someone living up there?"

He didn't like how the two girls exchanged looks before ignoring his question and continuing their trek. Shaking away the thought and the chill that accompanied it, he walked over and matched their pace, not seeing the thing appear once again in the window.

"So," he began casually, "these are the cabins huh?"

Annabeth nodded, her eyes glazing over as she went on about the architecture and materials that went into the design of each. Percy turned to Thalia, who was busy rolling her eyes at her friend.

"Does she do this often?"

Thalia snorted, "You have no idea. If you value your sanity, don't ask about the Parthenon."

Percy nodded, "Noted." Turning his head, he frowned as a thought came to him at the sight of all the cabins dedicated to the Olympians.

"Hey Annabeth?"

His words snapped her out of her rambling and she turned to him with an inquisitive look, "Where are the cabins for the minor gods?"

Annabeth looked a little confused, "There are none."

Percy went cold as he looked around again. This time he looked closer at all the smiling demigods and noticed a group of them he hadn't seen earlier. They hung at the very back, keeping out of the way of the others and staying quiet. He could smell the sadness on them, the unfaltering scent of rejection and the realization that they didn't belong here.

"Percy? Hey, you okay?"

"Huh?" Thalia was looking at him, a bit of worry in her eyes as she watched him respond, "Yeah, I'm alright. Why don't you go on ahead? I'll catch up later."

"You sure?"At his nod, she spared him one last glance before running over to her still rambling friend.

Percy wasted no time in making his way through the throngs of demigods until he reached the group he'd seen earlier. At his approach an older boy and girl stepped forward away from the few others that disappeared into the shadows. Walking from the small group of people, the pair stood in the demiwolf's way as he came to a stop.

The boy couldn't have been much older than Percy, with dark hair that hung over his face, partially covering the black eye patch that covered his right eye. His good eye was a harsh copper color, staring defiantly back at Percy as his hand held tightly to the hilt of his sword.

As for the girl, she, like the boy, appeared similar to him in age as well, with dark hair a shade lighter than the boy to her right and eyes a venomous green color. Her pale skin was offset by the green dress she wore, and the expression of both cool calm and burning anger that adorned her face spoke volumes.

"What do you want? Wasn't that pig's taunting enough for one day?" if anything the grip on his sword tightened even more. The girl merely raised her hands, allowing Percy to see the pale green lightening dancing across her fingers.

Percy merely brought his hands up in a placating manner, "Easy, easy, I just wanted to talk. You guys are children of the minor gods right?" At the boy's stiff nod he smiled and stuck his hand out, "Nice to meet you. I'm Percy, son of Eris."

At his announcement, the boy visibly relaxed and shook his hand in a rugged grip, "Ethan Nakamura, son of Nemesis."

The girl walked forward as well, shaking his hand and giving him a warm smile, "I'm Lou Ellen, daughter of Hecate."

Percy smiled in response before his frown returned, "I'm assuming you're not too happy about there being a lack of cabins for our parents. Where do you guys stay anyway?"

The son of Nemesis scowled, "The Hermes cabin, where they cram everyone who either hasn't been claimed or isn't an Olympian." He spat the word Olympian as if it were the vilest thing he'd ever said.

Before Percy could reply, Ethan's frown deepened even more, "Oh great, she's back."

Turning around in confusion, he was brought face to face with a girl.

Well, more face to chest than face to face.

Beefy and large, even without getting her scent he could tell the girl before him was clearly a daughter of Ares. Standing a good six-foot ten with what he assumed to be an XXXL Camp Half-Blood t-shirt, she looked like she had the strength of Adonis and the looks of the pig that killed him. With stringy brown hair and blood red eyes, she certainly looked like a long lost sister of sorts to it.

"Oh look, if it isn't little Naka moo-moo and his girlfriend Lu Lu. Where have you two been?" her smirk grew even larger when her eyes caught sight of Percy, "And who's this? A newbie huh?"

Ethan actually drew his sword this time, revealing three feet of polished celestial bronze as he aimed its business end at her, "What's wrong Clarisse? Still angry about the spear?" he smiled at the look of fury that briefly appeared on the girl's face.

The newly named Clarisse snorted as she drew her own weapon, a five foot spear that appeared to shimmer with crimson electricity, and planted the butt into the ground, "It doesn't matter what happened in the past; I have Maimer here to correct that earlier mistake."

Both warriors began to circle one another as a crowd of demigods surrounded the impending fight. But before Ethan could continue, Percy stepped up and laid a hand on his sword, "I've got this."

Ethan gave him a disbelieving look with his one good eye, "She's one of the best warriors in camp. You can't expect to just-"

Percy interrupted him, "Trust me on this, alright? Besides," he sent a smile in the direction of the daughter of Ares, "she needs to learn her place."

The son of Nemesis hesitated for a moment before sighing and walking out of the circle back to Lou Ellen, leaving Percy with Clarisse.

After a moment of shock, a vicious grin threatened to tear her face as she gave of a bout of laughter, "Oh, here comes the newbie, thinking he can challenge me!" a roar of laughter tore through the crowd before she continued, "Tell me your name kid so I know exactly who it is I sent to the infirmary."

The demiwolf merely smiled as he summoned his sword, surprising both the crowd and the daughter of Ares as he drew it from its sheath, "My name is Percy, son of Eris."

Quickly overcoming her shock, Clarisse steadied her grip on her spear as she played off her surprise at his display of power, "Percy? Ha, more like Prissy!"

As she and the crowd laughed once more, Percy merely rolled his eyes before he lunged, slamming the hilt into the larger girl's gut and sending her tumbling into the ground, silencing both his opponent and the crowd in a single strike.

Clarisse was shocked for a moment-'That little prick actually hurt me!'- before she grew red with rage. Leaping to her feet, she charged him, ready to impale him and bathe in his blood once he was dead. She was surprised when he shifted to the side; dodging her attack and making her look more of a fool, to both herself and the gathered crowd, as she once again embraced the ground.

Rising once again, she let loose a roar of anger before lunging forward, blinded in a blood lust only brought on by children of the War god.

Percy ducked under her frenzied stab before slashing out with his own sword, slicing into the girl's hand and forcing her to drop her spear. Not stopping for a moment, he made two quick cuts to the backs of her legs, forcing her to her knees before he grabbed a fistful of her hair and placed his sword against her throat, causing her to cease her struggling.

Utter silence.

A few ragged breaths.

Percy leaned down to her ear, "Do you want me to kill you?" his tone was as cold as the blade of his sword, and it took all the girl had within her not to plead with him to spare her.

"No."

"Then don't evertry to do what you tried to do with me ever again." His grip tightened on the sword, causing the blade to dig into her throat and droplets of blood to fall. "Understood?"

At her slight nod, he released his grip on the sword and removed it before kicking Clarisse in the small of her back, sending her sprawling into the crowd where she rose and ran back to her cabin, leaving behind a stunned crowd as well as a grinning Ethan and Lou Ellen.

Shaking his head at all the attention he'd garnered, Percy allowed a shadow to consume him and deposit him back at the big house he'd seen Artemis enter earlier, just as a certain daughter of Athena was finishing the tour of the camp grounds.

"…and this is the Big House, where Chiron and Mr. D, the camp director, stay."

Percy didn't bother with trying to garner her attention as he turned to Thalia, "Anything I missed?"

She shook her head, "Nah, nothing really interesting. Find what you were looking for?"

Percy merely gave her a wolfish grin before he stepped into the Big House, Leaving behind a smiling daughter of Zeus and a confused daughter of Athena.

**Ω**

"Where have you been?"Artemis snapped as the demiwolf appeared in the doorway. Percy smiled cheekily at her demand, ignoring the fact she had just demanded something of him if only to piss her off more.

"Making friends." Percy said casually as he took a seat next to her, allowing him to get a deep breath of her scent that nearly made him sigh. Just something about her smelled… right.

Oblivious to the demiwolf's state of mind, she sighed, "No matter, we will speak to Chiron about a prophecy now." Turning to the boy, she frowned at his expression, "Well?"

"Huh, oh right."

Rolling her eyes at the oblivious demiwolf before her, she entered the main room, where two men were currently playing, if Percy wasn't mistaken, pinochle.

One was wheel chair bound and looked like he belonged in a high school, but he had a mischievous twinkle in his eye, as if he'd make a test where all the answers were B or something. He had a thick brown beard and a small smile, seeing as how he was currently winning against his opponent and apparently didn't want to show it.

Said opponent was a pudgy man with a horrendously colored tiger-print Hawaiian shirt and a pair of eyes that clearly belonged to a drunkard. Blood shot and small, they widened excitedly at playing his hand before narrowing in contempt at his opponent's hand was revealed.

Noticing they had company, the bearded man smiled at Percy before gaining a frown at the sight of his auburn haired companion.

"Lady Artemis, what a…pleasant surprise. What brings you here? And who is this?"

If Artemis noticed the look on the older man's face she ignored it as she replied, "This is Percy, a new camper that-"

A loud groan cut her off as the pudgy man rose from his seat. Ignoring the heated glare she was sending his way, the man walked over to Percy and seemed to inspect him, allowing the demiwolf to get a good whiff of the ungodly smell of wine coming off of him.

"A new demon to torture me during my stay at this retched camp? The fates are truly cruel."

Percy snorted, "As if the smell coming off of you wasn't bad enough, you have the attitude of a pissed off child." He didn't seem to notice the looks he was gaining as he continued. "Just because daddy Zeus put you here for defying him doesn't mean you have to make our lives a living Hades."

The man eyes flickered with purple flames as his face twisted in rage, "Why you little brat, do you even know who I am?!" He summoned his staff and aimed it at the demiwolf, as if to blast him.

Percy pretended to think for a moment, completely ignoring the man's attempts at intimidation. "Hmm, the Tooth Fairy? No, Bigfoot? That's not it…Oh right! You're Dionysus, the stupid god of Wine who can't see anything besides the bottom of a bottle!"

Thunder shook the house as the newly revealed Dionysus threatened to smite the insolent fool were he stood. Before he could, Artemis stepped in the way and slapped him.

Hard.

The Wine god yelped and rubbed his cheek as the power in the room lowered and the thunder disappeared, "Ow! What the Hades was that for?!"

"For being stupid, like Percy here said." She frowned, "And before you try anything like that again, the boy is under _my p_rotection." The auburn haired goddess leaned forward, as if to strike the frightened god again as she whispered, "Are we clear?"

With a mumbled agreement, the Wine god went back to his seat at the table before summoning a Diet Coke and ignoring the rest of what was said as Artemis turned her attention back to Chiron.

"As I was saying before I was so _rudely _interrupted, Percy here needs to visit the Oracle for a quest."

Chiron sighed and placed a hand to his head, "Lady Artemis, is this about your brother again? I'm sorry, but Lord Zeus has told both you and the rest of the council to let the matter resolve itself."

Percy didn't miss the way the Moon goddess's hands clenched tightly as she spoke, "Let the matter resolve itself. You want me to 'let the matter resolve itself' do you?" Marching over to wheel chair bound man, she grabbed him by his jacket and surprised the both of them by snatching him out of the chair to reveal the man's horse hindquarters as she continued.

"Are you telling me that you, the trainer of heroes, _actually _believe that this whole 'matter' will blow over? That the Titan's rising means nothing?"

At his silence she released him before beckoning the silent demiwolf to follow her to the attic, leaving behind a quieted centaur and a bored Dionysus, who had decided to pick up a wine magazine to pass the time.

Percy didn't bother saying anything as the goddess led him up a flight of stairs before revealing a trap door that led to what he assumed was the attic. He wasn't a shrink or psychiatrist but he knew in another few seconds that the goddess was about to either do or say something to let everything out and talking was not going to help.

He didn't expect a fist to the jaw.

"Um, ow?" He didn't bother letting it on that the punch hadn't actually hurt that much, seeing as how that would only make her angrier than she already was.

Getting back on his feet, he noticed she had decided to take a seat next to the stairs and was currently looking up them, as if she wasn't sure whether or not what she was looking for was actually there. Cautiously approaching her, he casually took a seat next to her and noticed, once again, just how beautiful she was.

A mane of auburn hair and a pair of gorgeous silver eyes were for sure the most notable things about her, but that wasn't all. The way she could sit so calm and hide her emotions, as well as the way she carried herself everywhere she went was something the demiwolf had yet to see in anyone else. The fact she had even punched him was surprising and told stories about just how worried she was for her brother.

While Percy sat silently observing and admiring her, Artemis was focused on the only thing that she had realized meant anything to her besides the Hunt.

Sure Apollo could go too far with his pranks and joking, but she had never really thought much about how much he meant to her until he was gone. Stolen and hidden from even the eyes of the gods as he was, she was consumed by the thoughts of guilt as every moment she could have spent with him.

_Hey sis, wanna go paint the Parthenon?_

_Come on, I'm sure Dad wouldn't mind us borrowing the Master bolt for a bit…_

_Please come and meet him. You'll never know what you missed if you don't._

Every time he'd wanted to spend time with her, Artemis had always made an excuse or lied to get out of it and away from him. Why couldn't he have been born with someone else? Why did the fates give him, the most caring of the Olympians, her, the most cold and serious of the goddesses, as a sister?

Percy wasn't a fool. Even he knew when guilt cropped its ugly head up, and the sight of said blemish on the auburn haired girl's face was too much for him to bear.

Artemis was surprised when warmth suddenly enveloped her. Glancing to the right, she identified the source as…Percy?

"W-what are you-"

"It's not your fault, okay?" at her silence he continued, "Look, whatever happened in the past happened in the past, be it three days, three years, or even three hundred years ago. The fact you care enough about your brother to defy the lord of Olympus just to save him tells me everything both you and I need to know."

Artemis was shocked. The fact this boy, this stranger of two different worlds had actually wrapped her in a hug was one thing, but for him to just comfort her when all she had done for him was keep a secret…it wasn't like anything she'd ever felt before.

Warmness colored her cheeks and made her heart beat just a bit faster as she spoke, "Thank you b-Perseus."

He smiled and removed his arms as he stood, "Don't mention it. Now how about I go talk to this…oracle and then we work on freeing your brother?"

Artemis couldn't help but match his grin with one of her own, and as he went up into the attic to discover a prophecy for her, she was still smiling.

**A/N: Yeah, I'm going to end it right there. Hopefully this was a good example of a filler chapter, seeing as how I'm going to have to write (type) another one after it. Honestly, I hate writing (typing) these things. There's never enough action in them.**

**Oh well, I hope you enjoyed this regardless.**

**Until next time,**

**kingofsecrets15**


	7. Chapter 6: A Few Pep Talks

Chapter 6: A Few Pep Talks

Percy could feel the warmth on his face as he climbed the stairs into the attic, thoughts of Artemis swimming through his mind as he reached the top. Shaking his head to clear his mind (as well as remove the blush on his face), the demiwolf took a moment to look around the warm room.

Boxes were piled and stacked throughout the dust covered room, with what he assumed to be trophies from previous adventures and quests appearing on occasion. Curious, he took a closer look at the ones nearest to him.

_'Hydra head, fuzzy die, pink scarf…wait. What is that smell?'_

Following the strange scent back to the trophies, Percy gave the objects a once over before he discovered the source to be the pink scarf.

It didn't look like anything special. Soft and warm to his touch, the piece of fabric was just like any other scarf he'd seen, save for that strange scent. It seemed so familiar…

Bringing it to his face, he allowed himself to take in the scent before he realized what it was. It smelled just like Artemis. Thoughts of him and the goddess together began appearing in his mind as he took in another breath of her scent. He wondered what would happen if he-

Percy's eyes snapped open as they flickered into a harsh violet color, causing the scarf to turn to ash into his hands before falling through his fingers. Shaking his head to remove what he assumed was some form of magic; Percy took a step back before reexamining the now ruined scarf. He could still detect Artemis's scent, but as he to a closer look using his senses, he sensed an aura of magic surrounding it.

Percy groaned as he realized just what it was. _'Great, Aphrodite doesn't know I even exist and she's causing trouble for me.' _

Sighing, the demiwolf decided not to bother with it any longer as he resumed his search for the Oracle. As he turned around, he let out a yelp of fear before slapping a hand across his mouth at the sight of a woman's corpse not a few inches from his face. Leaping back a step or two, Percy calmed his mind before examining what he assumed was the Oracle.

Said corpse must have been dead for a long time, seeing as how most women didn't wear clothing a few decades past unless they were…departed. Shriveled and decaying, she was wrapped in a loose tie dye dress that looked to be the only thing that was keeping her together. A few chains decorated her neck, and he could almost see what appeared to be an Indian style pouch hanging from her neck as she stayed rooted to her seat.

Ignoring the sudden lump in his throat at her rather ghastly appearance, Percy steeled his nerves and stepped forward before asking his question.

"How can I free Apollo, the Sun god?" He closed his eyes, hoping the rumors about going mad at hearing the Oracle's prophecies were false as he waited for her to speak.

After a few moments, the demiwolf risked a look and discovered the Oracle hadn't moved an inch. In fact, she looked like she hadn't moved since the day she had died. Frowning, Percy walked over and cautiously gave the corpse a poke with an extended claw. At her lack of response, Percy felt his blood heating and waved his hands in her face, only to be given the same results as before.

"Hey corpse breath! Brain muncher! Wake up, I have to save Apollo from the Titans."

At her continued silence, Percy felt his eyes contract in rage. As his fangs and claws extended in anger, he leaned in until he was inches from her face, "Did you hear me you stupid zombie? I said-"

A sudden force around his neck told him something wasn't too pleased with his machinations. Looking around frantically, he couldn't find the culprit until he heard it.

The hiss.

Slowly turning his head, Percy found himself face to face with the glowing eyes of a moving, and if she had heard him, _very _pissed off Oracle of Delphi.

Percy winced as he felt the grip on his throat tighten when she shifted. As she rose to her feet, venomous green mist poured out from her mouth like water, forming a mass of angry serpents that writhed and coiled at her feet. The temperature of the attic dropped as well, and as his breathe formed in the now freezing air, Percy heard the trap door slam shut and lock itself.

She leaned in closer to him, her rotting flesh flooding his senses and her breath chilling and numbing his flesh as she began to speak, still holding him in her iron grip.

_"I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. I have heard your request, and you will have your answer…and I __**did **__hear that, Perseus Jackson."_

Throwing him to the floor, the Oracle's eyes glowed even brighter, and as Percy dragged the attic's stale air into his lungs, the words of the copse tumbled to the floor to join him.

_"Five shall go west to the Olympian in chains,_

_One shall be lost in the land without rain,_

_The bane of the Sun shall show the trail,_

_Campers and Hunters combined prevail,_

_The Titan's curse must one withstand,_

_And one shall perish by the Sky-Bearer's hand."_

Once her mouth had closed with a solid _clack_, the Oracle turned to the now recovered boy, her cold gaze piercing both his mind and soul as she continued, _"You have many trials ahead of you __**boy**__, and many more enemies to face." _She stepped towards him, forcing the demiwolf to step back until he was against the wall and her face was inches from his once again.

_"Do not make me one of them."_

Finished with both the boy and her prophecy, the Oracle shuffled back to her chair before suddenly falling into it and sitting as if she had never moved in the first place, leaving behind the now warm attic and a demiwolf who was certain he needed a change of boxers right about then.

**Ω**

After recovering (slightly) from his encounter with an example of the real walking dead, Percy did the heroic thing and proceeded to run back down the attic stairs and promise to never go back up there as he looked for Artemis. Unfortunately, upon seeing the boy, Chiron informed him that the Moon goddess had been called for a meeting on Olympus, leaving Percy to go seek a means to pass the time elsewhere seeing as how after the centaur finished Dionysus declared him banished from the Big House before flashing to the meeting himself.

As he wandered the camp grounds, Percy couldn't help but frown. Sure, everything was nice and pretty, but he couldn't help but feel a little bitter at the sight of the disrespect for the minor gods. Most wouldn't have noticed, but the demiwolf was more observant than most when it came to such things, such as whenever children of the Olympians showed up, the minor god children scrammed.

The minor gods may not all be a nice bunch, but nonetheless they deserved to be acknowledged for their duties, not shunned for being weaker or just not being on the council. Hel, most of the minor gods were stronger than the Olympians (his mother for instance), and if they wanted to, they could just take Olympus from the council. The fact that they hadn't proved his point to the letter.

As he was wrapped up in his thoughts, he didn't notice he had entered the fire pit where the campers had the sing-along and such until he had almost ran into the dying fire a little girl had been stoking.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Are you okay?"

Shaking himself free of his thoughts, Percy looked around until he spotted the girl, "Huh? Oh yeah, I'm alright."

The girl let out a sigh of relief before she smiled again, "Well, will you join me? A fire's warmth is best when shared with someone else."

He was tempted to say no, but the look in her eyes was enough to convince him to stay, at least for a little while, "Sure, why not?"

She giggled happily and scooted over on the bench for him to have a seat. Once he did she began stoking the fire again, not noticing the way the demiwolf was examining her as her eyes watched the flames.

She couldn't have been older than eight, with warm red eyes and a happy smile that didn't match with her dress of rags. Percy wasn't sure why she was able to tend a fire by herself or why no one had offered to stay with her but it seemed right that he was here with her.

"I'm glad you chose to stay." Percy looked over at her as she poked the fire, "Most people don't."

Percy raised an eyebrow, "Well I don't see why not. Your one of the nicest people I've met here."

The girl sighed before turning to him, "Most people don't see me. I go pretty much unnoticed by everyone. In fact, you're the first person to join me here for years." Her eyes were pools of crimson sadness now, something Percy felt did not belong, "I get so cold tending this place by myself sometimes..."

Percy was angry now, "Why hasn't anyone stayed here with you? Why doesn't anyone want help you?" He couldn't help but feel annoyed that no one had given her the time of day. It was the whole situation with the minor god children all over again.

She gave him a sad smile, "Most people have lost hope these days. No one thinks of the hearth or home anymore, only war." Turning to him, she gave a genuine smile, "But you Perseus, you have hope when there is none to be found."

Percy twitched uncomfortably where he sat, "How do you know my name?" he paused for a moment, "and I never actually got your name."

The girl looked embarrassed now as she twisted the hem of her dress, "Oh, please forgive my rudeness. I am Hestia, goddess of the Hearth."

If that didn't set off alarms in his head, Percy didn't know if anything would. Honestly, the fact she knew about him in general was enough to freak him out, but the way she hadn't bothered attacking him or questioning him told him he could trust her, for one reason or another.

She smiled as he relaxed, "Like I said, I'm glad you chose to stay."

"Why are you here? And why are you eight?" Percy resisted the urge to smack himself as he realized it probably wasn't the best idea to question a goddess and her actions if he were to continue living.

If she took offense, Hestia didn't show it as she replied, "Tending the hearth, as is my job. And as for being a child, well, we should all have hope like a child right?"

Percy nodded. He could see the logic in that, but there was something that bothered him greatly.

"Lady Hestia?"

She turned from the fire with an inquisitive look, "Hm?"

"Why are you not at the council meeting on Olympus? Aren't all of the Olympians supposed to be there?"

Hestia hesitated for moment before laying the poker down entirely and turning to him, an indescribable look on her face as she spoke, "All the Olympians _are_ there, Perseus. I haven't been considered an Olympian for a very long time now."

Percy stood up, an enraged expression on his face as he growled, "What right do they have to take your throne from you?!"

"I gave it up."

At his shocked silence, Hestia sighed before pulling him back down into his seat, "When Dionysus had completed his quests across Olympus, Zeus and several of the other gods had wanted him to become an Olympian. But a problem arose; if he were to join, there would be an imbalance of power between the Olympian gods and goddesses. War threatened to break out, so I solved the problem."

"You stepped down." Percy realized softly, "You gave up your throne so Olympus wouldn't fall."

Hestia nodded, "And now I pay the price. I'm no longer as powerful as I once was, and sooner or later I will fade away, like all things in time."

Percy was silent. Everything she had told him roiled and rocked his mind like an ocean. She had given everything, _everything _for the sake of peace. Doomed to a slow fade from this world, and yet she didn't seem to be bothered by it at all.

"Why doesn't this bother you? What will happen to the hearth if you go?

At this she smiled, "Even if I am gone, nothing will change for the most part. Hope will remain always, for hope burns brightest at the hearth, and if the people to come are anything like you Perseus, both the hearth and this world will do just fine."

Standing to her feet, Hestia brushed her dress off a bit before she gave him a peck on the cheek, "Now, I do believe my niece is coming over here now, so I must get going. Don't lose hope Perseus. Don't let the fire burn out."

With those final words she smiled and disappeared in a column of flames, leaving behind a slightly blushing demiwolf as Artemis appeared.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you." She was about to grab him but stopped at his expression, "Hey, are you alright?"

At the concern in her voice Percy smiled as he turned to her, "Yeah, I'm alright. Why don't we talk about rescuing your brother now?"

Nodding her head, the Moon goddess led him in the direction of her cabin and as Percy followed her, he glanced back at the now roaring fire before smiling and catching up to the impatient goddess.

**A/N: So, how was it? I don't really like fillers, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, but I think I like how this one turned out.**

**Please R&R, and I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**Sincerely,**

**kingofsecrets15**


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